Crystal Palace are in with an opportunity to sign Liverpool striker Harry Wilson, it has been claimed.
The young attacker is unlikely to get much playing time at Liverpool next season. As a result, move away from Anfield could be on the horizon.
According to Daily Star, Wilson is keen to leave the club after an impressive campaign on loan at Derby County.
Crystal Palace are believed to be one of the clubs interested in his services. But, the Eagles could face stiff competition from Newcastle United, Southampton and Brighton & Hove Albion in the pursuit of Wilson, who is rated around £25 million.
Harry Wilson: A smart but risky option for Roy Hodgson
Crystal Palace will be bracing themselves for the likely departure of Wilfried Zaha this summer. The former Manchester United star has been their creator-in-chief in attack, having scored ten goals in the recently concluded Premier League campaign.
In addition, Michy Batshuayi is set to leave Palace after the end of his loan deal, leaving them a bit shallow in the attacking department. Hence, the addition of Wilson would be a welcome one for Roy Hodgson and his men this summer.
The 22-year-old impressed in his loan spell at Derby in the Championship this past season, scoring 15 goals in 40 matches. He helped the Rams reach the final promotional playoff final against Aston Villa, though they couldn’t get over the final hurdle.
As far as gameplay is concerned, the Liverpool prodigy likes to test the ‘keeper a lot, having averaged 2.6 shots per game during the 2018/19 campaign.
Wilson can create chances for his teammates as well, and is always on the lookout for that defence-threading through ball. This is rather evident given the fact that he has averaged 1.3 key passes per game, most of which have come from short passes.
It’s also fair to point out that Wilson is a versatile attacker. His pace and dribbling ability was often used by Frank Lampard on the wider areas, and the Welshman’s distribution and composure on the ball allowed him to play in midfield as well.
The aforementioned attributes could help Hodgson accommodate Wilson in his 4-3-3 or even a 4-4-2, where the 22-year-old can be deployed in a wide role, or as a midfielder.
That being said, a £25 million valuation could be a little expensive for a player, who still struggles in the air as well as physical duels, and is unproven in the Premier League. Hence, Wilson could prove to be a potential gamble for the Eagles.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored